The aim of this study was to describe socio-demographic characteristics, injury, crime characteristics and emotions during the event in assault victims of nondomestic violence and to evaluate possible associations between these factors. The sample of 149 adults was taken from two Norwegian urban communities, with 80% men and 20% women. The study demonstrated that most of the nondomestic assault victims were young men assaulted by unknown attackers. One unexpected finding was that physical injuries occurred with the same severity among male and female victims. Another finding was that anxiety was the most frequent emotion felt during the assault, followed by aggression. The authors suggest that future research using a broader population is needed in order to allow a deeper understanding of the factors that increase the risk of violent victimisation and the risk of psychopathology